In a typical heating system, water is circulated by a pump through several radiators, possibly a heat exchanger in a hot water cylinder, and a boiler. During circulation, solid particles (for example, iron oxide) which have come loose from the interior of the radiators and pipework can become suspended in the water. Solid particles can also be present as contaminants in the water originally supplied to the system, and the water can become contaminated by dirt where an open expansion tank forms part of the system. These solid particles can cause malfunction if they build up in the boiler or pump, and reduce the effectiveness of the heating system by restricting the flow of water and clogging radiators. The water in a heating system should therefore be continually cleaned to remove solid particles as far as possible.
Various devices are known for removing particles from suspension in a flow of water. Typically these devices comprise of a substantially cylindrical housing with an inlet and an outlet provided on the curved surface of the cylinder. Known devices must therefore be mounted with the curved surface of the cylinder parallel to a wall, and separation means within the housing are designed to operate effectively in this orientation. The height of the cylindrical housing (i.e. the distance between the two planar surfaces of the cylinder) is typically much greater than the diameter of the cylinder.
When a heating system is serviced, the separator device must be cleaned to remove the particles which have been separated from the fluid. A removable screw-top is typically provided at the upper end of the cylindrical housing which, when removed, allows access to the inside of cylindrical housing. A removable insert is typically provided within the housing, which must be removed for cleaning.
The removable insert is typically of similar longitudinal extent to the cylindrical housing. Therefore to allow the insert to be removed from the housing, the separator device must be installed where there is a vertical space between horizontal surfaces of at least twice the height of the housing. This requirement imposes an unwelcome constraint on the installer in terms of where the device may be installed, particularly where the separator device is being retrofitted to an existing installation. For example, there is often insufficient space between the bottom of a boiler and a counter top. In some cases it may simply not be possible to fit a device of suitable capacity which requires such a large vertical space.
It is an object of this invention to provide a separator device which reduces or substantially obviates the above mentioned problems.